Inheritance of One who is Lost

“Khattab al-A‘war asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), when I was sitting, ‘A man worked on hire with my father and we lost him. A certain amount from his wages was left with us and we did not know any of his heirs. He (the Imam)…

“This is about the case of a man who has a right on another man. However, he was lost and he did not know where to look for him, not knowing if he is dead or living. He does not know of anyone as his heir, or a town or…

“I once wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) about two hundred and four dirham which remained with me. I own a hotel. The owner of dirham has died and I do not know any heirs for him. I need your opinion on this…

“I once wrote to the virtuous servant (of Allah) that I manage hotels. A man who stays in the hotel may die suddenly and I do not know his town and his heirs; and his assets remain with me. What must I do about it? He…

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), said to me, ‘The assets of a lost person must be kept for four years; then they are distributed.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a house that belongs to a woman who had a son and a daughter. Her son disappeared in the ocean, the woman died and the daughter claimed that her mother had given the…

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who had several sons, of whom one disappeared and he did not know where he was. The man died. What must be done with the share of the legacy for the son who…

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), about the case of a man who has several sons, of whom one disappeared and he did not know where he was. The man died. What must be done with his share of legacy from his…

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The heirs must keep the assets of one who is lost for the duration of four years’ searching. If he is not found, his assets are distributed among the heirs. If he has children, the…